Five Arctic fox cubs from Húsdýragarðurinn Petting Zoo in Laugardalur, Reykjavík, have settled into new homes in Scandinavia, the zoo announced yesterday. According to RÚV this is the first time animals have journeyed abroad from an Icelandic zoo.
The five, adorable cubs were born last spring to parents Frosti and Flandra, and have been the stars of the zoo since their birth. One of the cubs moved to the Kristiansand Zoo in south Norway, while his four siblings found a new home at Järvzoo in Järvsö, central Sweden.
Read more: The Arctic fox population in Iceland in decline
Read more: Are there penguins and polar-bears in Iceland?
According to information from Húsdýragarðurinn Petting Zoo the Arctic fox population in Scandinavia is endangered, despite being legally protected for several decades. The current population in Norway counts only 50 animals. The Icelandic cubs were moved to the other zoos in order to maintain genetic diversity in zoo-dwelling fox populations.
The arctic fox is the only species of land mammal native to Iceland, having taken roots in the country at the end of the last ice age. However, although it population is still strong it is in decline for the very first time since monitoring began in 1979, Vísir reported in October. .
Five Arctic fox cubs from Húsdýragarðurinn Petting Zoo in Laugardalur, Reykjavík, have settled into new homes in Scandinavia, the zoo announced yesterday. According to RÚV this is the first time animals have journeyed abroad from an Icelandic zoo.
The five, adorable cubs were born last spring to parents Frosti and Flandra, and have been the stars of the zoo since their birth. One of the cubs moved to the Kristiansand Zoo in south Norway, while his four siblings found a new home at Järvzoo in Järvsö, central Sweden.
Read more: The Arctic fox population in Iceland in decline
Read more: Are there penguins and polar-bears in Iceland?
According to information from Húsdýragarðurinn Petting Zoo the Arctic fox population in Scandinavia is endangered, despite being legally protected for several decades. The current population in Norway counts only 50 animals. The Icelandic cubs were moved to the other zoos in order to maintain genetic diversity in zoo-dwelling fox populations.
The arctic fox is the only species of land mammal native to Iceland, having taken roots in the country at the end of the last ice age. However, although it population is still strong it is in decline for the very first time since monitoring began in 1979, Vísir reported in October. .
